Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 12:09 pm Post subject: IAIJ Becomes A Member Of The Canadian Commission for UNESCO!

IAIJ Becomes A Member Of The Canadian Commission for UNESCO!

By Maurice Ali, President and CEO: IAIJ Inc.

Maurice Ali holds the letter from UNESCO!

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the general membership, I Maurice Ali, President of the International Association Of Independent Journalists Inc. (IAIJ) am honored to announce that IAIJ became an "institutional member" of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO beginning on June 11, 2011. Becoming a member of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO was a three year bid and we are indebted to many people who helped us along the way, many thanks to all who participated and many thanks to the wonderful people at the Canadian Commission for UNESCO for allowing us the opportunity to participate in helping UNESCO and IAIJ work together to further both organizations objectives and goals.

UNESCO stands for the "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization" and UNESCO activities derive from their headquarters in Paris, France and also through commissions such as the Canadian Commission for UNESCO located in Ottawa, Canada. From the Canadian Commission for UNESCO's website:

"The Canadian Commission for UNESCO operates under the aegis of the Canada Council for the Arts. Its role is to act as a forum for governments and civil society, and to mobilize the participation of Canadian organizations and committed individuals in UNESCO's mandated areas: education, natural and social sciences, culture and communication and information.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the only member of the United Nations System to have National Commissions performing this role in its Member States"

Our original interest in UNESCO came from their support of journalist rights and freedoms as set forth in the United Nations's Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 19) which states:

"Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. "

So began our bid for membership with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

Some history about our path to this announcement was fist started with the creation of IAIJ back in 2003 and my first television interview setting forth our goals on the original "Fortress TV Show" on September 18, 2005 on the Global Television Network:

Then was the incorporation of the organization as a not-for-profit association and the lobbying of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO including at trip and meeting at the offices of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO!

Maurice Ali at the Canadian Commission for UNESCO!

More lobbying and finally a package in the mail with the good news (click on the link below to view the actually moment we found out we became members).

A package from UNESCO!

During our membership with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, we will help the Canadian Commission for UNESCO further its goals and objectives here in Canada, but we will also start our expansion into the world at large. In addition to our satellite office in London, England, we would like to set up offices in other areas around the world as shown in the map below:

IAIJ Map Of Operations

We will grow slowly and do so in a safe understated fashion embedding our philosophy into the indigenous communities. We are in this for the long haul. However this occasion is to announce that we are now members with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO!